After all the pressure exerted on Manchester United to help England's 2006 World Cup bid, the team left Brazil last night with leading figures divided over whether they have strengthened the Football Association's hand.

The bad news was that Fifa's president Sepp Blatter insisted their World Club Championship participation had changed nothing. "This competition has no influence on the decision for the 2006 World Cup," he said, "nor has the performance of any of the teams representing countries which are on the bidding list."

"All competitions which have been organised so far, and which will be organised in the future, have no impact and no influence on the decision."

Bobby Charlton, a United director and part of England's bid team, begged to differ. "The mere fact that Manchester United were here created so many headlines and has done so much good that only a fool would say they have not contributed to the success of this tournament and the success of our bid," he said.

"If Manchester United had refused an offer to come to a Fifa-organised function when it was the first opportunity to take part then I think it would have been an insult to Fifa which we probably would have had to live with for a while."

Charlton believes United's FA Cup sacrifice has been noted. England's campaign director, Alec McGivan, said that making way for Bayern Munich would have been damaging: "The German bid team are here but without a football side, and for us it's been a huge difference to have Manchester United as a participant. The German bid people are just sort of tagging along behind."

England's campaigners claimed another boost when Blatter publicly distanced himself from South Africa.

"I have said the World Cup should go in rotation around the continents," he explained. "I have identified one continent but I have never identified one candidate."

Morocco are also bidding for the 2006 tournament.

Nevertheless, the Fifa president's comments fall well short of a rejection of South Africa's candidacy. He will preside over the decision-making committee on July 5-6.

Security fears are the biggest threat to South Africa's hopes. Charlton insisted Fifa needed no reminding of the problems and McGivan said it was "very aware of it as an issue". Fifa's inspection team will visit South Africa from March 7-12. "Security is a very important matter," Blatter said.

The tournament ends tonight with an all-Brazilian final between Vasco da Gama and Corinthians. Vasco's striker Romario needs one goal to reach the 700 mark. The competition's future will be clarified by Fifa at the end of March.